Super Crown Crisis
by ShizukaRakugaki44
Summary: With Bowser stranded on the moon following the events in Super Mario Odyssey, everything seems pretty normal for the Mario Brothers and Princess Peach. But when a mysterious stranger arrives claiming to be Bowser, despite being a blonde-haired woman with unusual features, the three get more than they bargained for as several mishaps start happening in relation to the Super Crown.
1. Chapter 1: A Strange Intruder

**Intrigued by the whole Bowsette thing, I thought it would be interesting to do a** ** _Ranma 1/2_** **-style romantic comedy with the character as well as the other** ** _Super Mario Bros._** **characters. So I hope you enjoy!**

Chapter 1: A Strange Intruder

In an open field within the Mushroom Kingdom, Mario and Luigi were walking together beside an open field full of white flowers while a clear sunny sky shone down upon them and a calm breeze blew through their caps.

As Mario took in a deep breath, he said, "Ah, what a perfect day! Isn't it, Luigi?"

"Yeah, I guess so," Luigi replied, though he sounded nervous.

"What's the matter?" Mario asked, looking up at his younger brother who was significantly taller than him.

"Well, usually, when the weather is this nice…that's when Bowser attacks the castle and kidnaps Princess Peach," Luigi explained.

"Not to worry!" Mario insisted. "There's no way Bowser will attack, not after I left him stranded on the moon where he tried to forcefully marry Peach."

"But didn't she reject him?" When Mario nodded, Luigi added, "And you as well?"

This caused Mario to sigh in frustration. "Thanks for reminding me."

"Sorry," Luigi apologized.

"Anyway, let's check up on Peach just to make sure she's okay," Mario responded. Then he cupped his hands and shouted, "Yoshi!"

A strange noise followed, followed by the sound of heavy footsteps. Soon enough, the two brothers were approached by a large green dinosaur with a shell on its back.

"It's a good thing you were nearby, Yoshi," Mario remarked, addressing the green dinosaur. "We need to get to Peach's castle right away. Can you get us there quickly enough?"

Yoshi neighed in response.

"All right." Mario then got onto Yoshi's back while Luigi climbed on behind him. "Let's a-go!"

While Luigi held on to Mario, Yoshi ran along the road next to the field at incredible speeds until they reached a large golden castle. In front of it stood a small creature with a mushroom-shaped head that had red polka dots wearing a blue vest and white pants.

"Hello, Mario," the mushroom-headed creature greeted just as Mario and Luigi got off Yoshi.

"Nice to see you too, Toad," Luigi responded, irritated that he wasn't addressed too.

"Is Princess Peach around?" Mario said to the mushroom-headed creature.

"I believe so," Toad responded. "Follow me."

###

Inside the castle, Toad led Mario and Luigi across a foyer and up a flight of stairs till they reached a ballroom with a nearby balcony. There, the three of them found Princess Peach sitting at a glass table along with another creature that looked similar to Toad only this one wore a pink dress and had matching braids.

"Princess," Toad announced. "The Mario Brothers are here to see you."

"Thank you for bringing them here, Toad," Peach smiled. "You may go now."

Bowing his head, Toad walked away while the Mario Brothers stepped forward.

"So what brings you guys here?" The pink-haired Toad asked. "Is Bowser planning to attack the castle again or something?"

"Actually, Toadette, I wanted to disprove Luigi's fears about Bowser returning by checking up on Princess Peach," Mario answered.

"Oh, that's very thoughtful of you, Mario," Peach replied. "But today has been pretty normal for a change. In fact, Toadette and I were just about to have tea and cakes. Would you two care to join us?"

"Absolutely!" Mario and Luigi said in unison.

###

Elsewhere, Kammy Koopa was cackling as she observed Mario and Luigi sharing tea and assorted cakes with Peach and Toadette through a crystal ball.

"A normal day, eh?" Kammy remarked. "Wait until Bowser hears about this!"

"If he ever comes back," responded a turtle-like creature that was younger than Kammy who wore a blue robe instead of Kammy's purple one and round glasses as opposed to her horn-rimmed ones.

"Kamek!" Kammy snapped, bopping the younger Magikoopa on the head with her staff. "How dare you say that about our Lord! It's only been a week since he left after we retrieved him from the moon. I'm sure he'll be back any day now."

"I know, Kammy, but…the only reason he left was to find something to get back at Mario once and for all though he's been saying that for so many years. Doesn't he know when to give up?"

Before Kammy could raise her staff again, the sound of heavy footsteps caught their attention.

"That must be him," Kammy smirked and left the chamber she and Kamek were occupying before entering a dimly lit throne-room through a secret entrance.

Instead of Bowser, though, an unusually tall and slender figure stood wearing a large brown tarp that covered them from head-to-toe.

"Can I…help you?" Kammy asked cautiously.

"Kammy," the figure began, and lifted the tarp slightly. "You've got to help me."

An ear-piercing scream followed, causing Kamek to leave the chamber and enter the throne-room where he found Kammy lying on the floor with a shocked look on her face.

"What happened, Kammy?" Kamek demanded, kneeling down. "Speak to me!"

"B-Bowser…Peach…" Kammy murmured.

Then as Kammy fainted, Kamek frowned and went into the hallway outside the throne-room.

"Guards!" Kamek cried, addressing the nearby Koopa Troopas and Dry Bones. "Princess Peach just attacked Kammy Koopa and might be responsible for Bowser's recent absence! If you see anyone that looks like her in the castle, capture them!"

At once, the Koopas and Dry Bones took off in separate directions. After some of them passed down one hallway, the figure who addressed Kammy emerged from a hidden niche with the tarp completely covering them again.

"That was a big mistake," the figure muttered. "I should have known Kammy would react badly to this form, and now I'm running away from my own guards."

Making their way across the hallway, the figure pressed a block on the wall causing a secret passage to reveal itself. Then the figure slipped inside while the wall closed up behind them.

To be continued…


	2. Chapter 2: Bowser's New Look

Chapter 2: Bowser's New Look

"What do you mean Bowser is missing?" Mario remarked when he and Luigi arrived at Peach's castle one week after their previous visit.

"That's just it," Peach answered, showing a hand-drawn poster depicting Bowser's dragon-like face. "These posters were all over Dark Land according to Toadette, who was wandering along the edges of the kingdom."

"Why didn't you ask me to come with you?" Toad asked Toadette, looking concerned. "If a Koopa Troopa spotted—

"It's okay, Toad, I'm fine," Toadette insisted. "I wasn't there long enough to be spotted by any passing Koopa."

"Well, I say good riddance to Bowser," Mario declared.

"How can you say that?" Peach exclaimed. "Don't you care about Bowser's well-being?"

"Of course not!" Mario argued. "That monster has kidnapped you and nearly taken over this kingdom more times than I can count, yet _you're_ concerned about him?"

Peach looked downward. "Even if he is a monster, he's still a living creature and I wouldn't want any harm to come to him. I mean, wouldn't you feel the same way about Yoshi if he suddenly disappeared?"

"Yoshi and Bowser are _not_ the same thing!"

Just then, a yellow version of Toad suddenly appeared in the ballroom area. "Princess, there is a stranger who wishes to see you."

"Did you ask them who they were?" Peach asked.

"I did, but they wouldn't tell me unless you talked to them in private," the yellow Toad responded sheepishly.

Sighing, Peach said, "Then I shall speak to them myself."

Lifting her dress slightly, Peach walked out of the ballroom. When she was a few feet away, Mario started to follow her but was held back by Luigi.

"What are you doing, Mario?" Luigi asked.

"Following Peach, of course," Mario replied. "Something about this set-up smells like a trap by Bowser, which might explain why he's gone missing."

"Because he wanted to trick us into thinking he was gone, when really he planned to sneak into the castle disguised as a stranger?"

"Exactly! Now, if we can catch him in the act now there's no way he can take off with Peach."

So Mario and Luigi left the ballroom as well, though Toad and Toadette noticed so they followed in turn. The four of them came to the top of the stairs that led up to the ballroom, which showed a large foyer area where Peach was walking up to a figure wearing a brown tarp over them. After exchanging a few inaudible words, Peach led the figure into a private study adjacent to the foyer which was behind a locked door.

###

Inside the study, which was full of sofas and books on various shelves, Peach had closed the door behind her after the stranger had stepped in first.

"Now, why do you wish to see me?" Peach inquired.

"Princess," the figure addressed, sounding nervous. "What if I told you that…I'm Bowser."

This caused Peach to gasp in surprise, just as the door opened revealing Mario and Luigi.

"Nice try, Koopa, but you're not kidnapping Peach again!" Mario declared.

"Mario!" Peach exclaimed, as the small plumber jumped over her head and socked the figure claiming to be Bowser in the face so hard that they fell backward with the tarp completely covering them.

As Luigi came in and stood next to Peach, Toad and Toadette decided to lock the door behind them so Bowser couldn't escape. Meanwhile, Mario leaned forward and grabbed a piece of the tarp with his gloved hand.

"Now, Bowser, what have you got to say for yourself?" Mario taunted, and lifted the tarp in one swift motion.

What everyone saw shocked them: on the floor lay a tall woman with long blonde hair, blue eyes, and a shoulder-less black dress adorned by spiked braces on her wrists and upper arms. But she also had some unusual features including a pair of curved horns, a small spiky green shell on her back, an orange reptilian tail, and pointed ears. Then between her horns sat a golden crown with a pink mushroom-like cap.

"Bowser?" Instinctively, Mario let go of the tarp and backed away.

"What happened to you?" Peach asked, stepping closer.

In response, the woman flinched and scooted back.

"It would take too long to explain," she said, covering her visibly large breasts with one hand. "You wouldn't understand."

"I'm willing to listen, Bowser," Peach assured, extending her gloved hand. "After all, if you wanted to kidnap me you would have already done it by now. So clearly, you've come here for another reason. Is that it?"

The woman claiming to be Bowser looked up at Peach's outstretched hand and instead she pushed herself up. "I had nowhere else to go. When I showed this form to Kammy Koopa, she freaked out and forced me to flee from my own castle because stupid Kamek mistook me for you, Princess."

"Oh, that's terrible," Peach sympathized. "So how did you end up like this?"

Frowning, the woman stated, "After you and Mario abandoned me on the moon, the Magikoopas brought me home using their combined magical powers. Then I went on a personal quest to find something that would allow me to get even with you two, when I came upon this crown."

While the woman pointed to the crown on her head, Peach eyed it quizzically.

"Odd," Peach remarked. "I don't think I've ever seen a crown like that before."

"I don't know what it is," the woman admitted. "But I foolishly tried it on thinking it was a Power-Up, and the result is this form which I now possess. Yet no matter how many times I've tried, this crown refuses to come off."

To demonstrate, the woman used both hands to tug at the crown. Sure enough, it wouldn't budge causing Peach to frown.

"Maybe Mario can help you," Peach suggested.

"No way!" Mario objected. "I'm not helping Bowser if you paid me a million Gold Coins!"

"Well, I didn't want your help anyway, Plumber!" The woman snapped.

"Luigi," Peach pleaded.

"Um, I'm with my brother on this one," Luigi responded nervously.

"Then I guess I'll have to help Bowser myself." Before Peach could step closer, Mario stepped in front of her.

"This still seems like a trap," Mario insisted. "So I'll deal with Bowser if you don't mind."

"Good luck, Plumber," the woman said sarcastically as Mario leaped onto her shoulders and grabbed the crown with both hands.

To be continued…


	3. Chapter 3: An Unexpected Offer

Chapter 3: An Unexpected Offer

Though Mario tugged at it with all his strength, the crown wouldn't budge from the head of the woman claiming to be Bowser. So Peach encouraged Luigi to help Mario, who walked over after some initial reluctance. Grabbing Mario by the torso, Luigi pulled back hard enough to cause the woman to lose her footing due to wearing black heels. While Luigi managed to grab Mario before he was crushed by the woman's spiky shell, she fell flat on her back.

"It's no use," the woman sighed. "Guess I'm stuck in this form forever."

After getting to her feet, the woman picked the tarp off the floor and walked over to the entrance of the study.

"But where will you go?" Peach asked, causing the woman to stop. "If you return to Dark Land, the Koopas will surely arrest you."

Not saying anything, the woman pulled the tarp over her head.

"Why don't you stay here, until we can figure out what that crown is and how to remove it from your head?"

Peach's words shocked everyone, including the woman.

"You would do that…for me?" The woman turned to face Peach and lowered the tarp slightly. "Even after everything I've done to you?"

"Since you bothered to come all this way for my help, I see no reason to turn you away," Peach smiled, and then she gave the woman a firm stare. "But I'll only let you stay if you promise to not harm any of my subjects or try to take over the kingdom in any way."

Unsure of what to say, the woman looked at Peach and the Mario Brothers. "I…promise."

"Then it's settled!" Peach declared. "But first, we should come up with an alias for you, Bowser. That way, the Toads will trust you more easily and it'll keep the Koopas off your trail until we solve the problem at hand."

"Seems fair," the woman shrugged. "But I don't want you guys telling anyone else who I am."

"We'll keep your secret between us, unless it's someone we think can help you," Peach promised. "Is that all right?"

While Toad Toadette and the Mario Brothers nodded in unison, the woman reluctantly nodded.

"If it's someone trustworthy, then I'll take your word for it, Princess," the woman responded. "So, what did you have in mind for an alias?"

Peach thought for a moment, and then said, "How about…Bowsette?"

"That's stupid!" The woman argued.

"Do you have a better name in mind?"

In turn, the woman shook her head. "No…"

"So Bowsette it is!" Then Peach grabbed the woman's hand, which surprised her. "Now, I'm going to give you a bath."

"A bath!" The woman exclaimed, and dragged her heels into the carpeted floor as Peach pulled her towards the door. "But Koopas don't take baths!"

"Except you're not a Koopa anymore, Bowsette," Peach reminded. "You're a human-being now, and humans need to be clean if they want to interact with others properly. Plus, it'll help with your cover if you didn't smell like a Koopa."

After that, the woman dubbed Bowsette remained quiet as Peach led her out of the study leaving the Mario Brothers and the two Toads speechless.

"Well, if Bowser's staying with Peach then I'm staying here too," Mario insisted.

"Don't you mean Bowsette?" Luigi corrected.

"I don't care about that stupid nickname," Mario responded. "That woman is still Bowser underneath, and I see no reason to treat her any differently. That's why I think we should stay here to make sure she doesn't try to kidnap Peach or something malicious like that."

"While I agree with you, Mario, I still think we should call her Bowsette," Luigi emphasized. "If we refer to her as Bowser, there's a chance someone might overhear us and start to suspect something which will lead to Bowser's cover being blown."

"And the last thing we want is an angry Bowser, even though he looks like a woman at the moment," Toad added.

"Fine," Mario huffed. "We'll all agree to keep Peach's promise, but secretly keep an eye on 'Bowsette' if she starts acting suspicious."

At that, Luigi and the two Toads nodded.

###

After Bowsette had been given a proper bath and her dress had been thoroughly washed, she came out onto the balcony above the main foyer smelling fresh which surprised Mario though she was clearly unhappy about it. Meanwhile, Peach walked up to the edge of the balcony as all the castle's Toads were intermingling with Toad and Toadette among them.

"My fellow servants," Peach addressed, causing all of them to look up at her. "I want to let you know that we will be having some guests staying with us for an indefinite amount of time. You of course know the Mario Brothers, but we also have a new guest named Bowsette. She is Bowser's, um, sister, who has come searching for her brother whom you might have heard has been missing as of late. While I negotiate with her about what we can do, I want you all to treat her no differently than the Mario Brothers. Is that clear?"

"Yes, Princess!" The Toads said in unison.

"Good," Peach beamed. "You may return to your work as normal."

While the Toads scattered about, Bowsette made a slight smirk. "Not a bad save, Princess, though it'll be interesting to see if the Toads will buy your obvious lie or not."

"They trust me completely, so I see no reason for them to doubt me," Peach insisted. "Now let's head into the dining-room. I'm sure you're pretty famished after wandering around for about two weeks."

"I got by eating whatever prey I could catch," Bowsette answered. "But I'm always up for a decent meal."

As it turned out, Bowsette had a monstrous appetite as she devoured several drumsticks rice balls and cakes. While Mario and Luigi had disgusted looks on their faces, Peach smiled politely while sipping her tea.

To be continued…


	4. Chapter 4: How to Teach a Koopa

Chapter 4: How to Teach a Koopa Proper Manners

"Do you want something else to drink besides tea, Bowsette?" Peach asked while Bowsette was using a toothpick to clean her sharp teeth.

"Have you got any alcoholic drinks?" Bowsette asked.

"No, we don't have anything like that around," Peach responded.

"Darn," Bowsette murmured to herself. "Guess I'll give this 'Tea' stuff a try."

Picking up the cup of tea which she hadn't touched yet, Bowsette gave it a sip only to gag a few seconds later.

"Gross!" Bowsette remarked. "What was that?"

"Peach Tea," Peach answered, taking another sip. "It's my own special blend."

"Is that the only kind of tea you have?"

"Well, we have Peppermint, Earl Grey, Black—

"What's in Black Tea?" Bowsette interrupted.

"Um, Camellia leaves which have a stronger flavor than—

"I'll take that!" Bowsette declared.

So Peach ordered one of the Toads who served dinner to bring some Black Tea to Bowsette which it did without hesitation. When the tea tray arrived, Bowsette lifted the lid off the teapot and tasted it with her fingers which were surprisingly delicate-looking.

"It's not bad," Bowsette noted. "A little alcohol would make it taste better, but it'll do for now."

Instead of pouring the tea into the cup, Bowsette just sipped it directly from the pot much to everyone's annoyance. After that, the four went off to bed with Mario and Luigi heading for the two-bedroom guest quarters while Bowsette was taken to a large suite Peach had prepared in advance. Though Bowsette wasn't too fond of the frilly decor, she did like the space and so Peach bid her goodnight. Reluctantly, Bowsette did the same as Peach left the suite and closed the door behind her.

###

The next morning, Peach came into Bowsette's room and pulled the curtains open revealing an irritated Bowsette who was wearing nothing underneath the covers of her queen-sized bed.

"Why aren't you wearing the nightgown I gave you?" Peach said, picking up a white garment that was lying on the floor.

"It didn't fit," Bowsette grumbled, rolling onto her side. "These 'Things' made it stretch out uncomfortably…"

"You mean breasts?" Peach corrected.

"Whatever," Bowsette frowned. "Why did you wake me up so early?"

"Because your table manners weren't exactly the greatest last night, I've decided to give you some etiquette lessons today."

In response, Bowsette turned away from Peach. "What's the point of doing that?"

"To help maintain your cover better, and make it easier for all of us to get along."

"Including Mario?" When Peach nodded, Bowsette huffed. "I could care less about what that dumb Plumber thinks."

"But I do!" Peach declared, pulling the bedsheets off. "Now get dressed and let's go already!"

Unable to respond, Bowsette reluctantly got out of bed and put on the black dress she wore yesterday with Peach helping her put it on. The two of them left the suite, with Mario and Luigi standing on both sides of the main door.

"Were you Plumbers standing outside the room all night?" Bowsette smirked. "Hoping to sneak a peek of my body?"

"Not at all!" Mario insisted, shaking his head profusely. "We were just guarding your room in case you tried to escape or kidnap the Princess."

"She wouldn't try to do either of those things in her present condition, though," Peach claimed. "Right, Bowsette?"

"No," replied Bowsette, folding her arms.

###

For the rest of the day, Peach taught Bowsette several different mannerisms such as how to sip tea properly and use silverware. Bowsette was naturally stubborn to follow through on these lessons, resorting to her monster-based habits despite Peach's protests. This drew Mario's attention, as he was standing guard outside the ballroom Peach and Bowsette were in. But when he saw what was going on, his interest waned.

"Wait, Mario!" Peach said, just as Mario was about to leave the ballroom. "Can you help me explain why learning how to be a proper lady will help with Bowsette's cover?"

Mario scuffed. "Why should I? It's not like she's going to be around for long, anyway."

"For once, I agree with the Plumber," Bowsette concurred. "As soon as we get this crown off my head, I'm out of here!"

Peach's eyebrow raised. "Did I hear you say, 'We'?"

"I mean to say, 'Me,' Princess," Bowsette insisted.

This made Peach grin. "Maybe there's hope for you, after all."

In turn, Bowsette glared at Mario. "You heard me say, 'Me' instead of 'We,' right?"

"No, you clearly said, 'We,'" Mario answered.

"Then you two must be deaf!" Bowsette furiously sipped the tea Peach poured into her teacup. "I'm going back to my room."

But as she stood up and turned away, Bowsette tripped over her dress and fell flat on her face.

"That's another thing we should work on," Peach realized. "Since you're wearing a dress, you should learn how to walk in one. Otherwise, you'll have accidents like this in public and you don't want that, right?"

Looking up at Peach, Bowsette frowned. "Okay, fine! I'll take your stupid etiquette lessons so long as I don't have to embarrass myself in front of Mario."

"How flattering!" Mario said mockingly. "I didn't know you regarded my opinion so highly."

"Shut up, Plumber!" Clenching her fists, Bowsette raised herself up as the shell on her back seemed to grow bigger while her fingernails became sharper and waves of intense heat escaped from her mouth as she growled.

Bowsette then faced Mario and breathed a fiery inferno in his direction. He managed to dodge the flames quite easily, and flipped through the air till he was behind Bowsette. Next, he grabbed her orange tail and swung her around with as much strength as he could muster. With enough momentum gained, Mario threw Bowsette a few feet away and she fell onto the ground looking uncomfortable as her breasts pressed against her face.

###

Following her humiliating defeat by Mario's hand, Bowsette kept her promise and followed Peach's etiquette lessons without complaining in the days that followed.

"That victory of yours was just a fluke, Mario," Bowsette insisted during dinner with Peach and the Mario Brothers. "You only won because I didn't know I had retained my previous abilities."

"Yeah, that was weird," Peach remarked. "It's like you were starting to change back into your old self the angrier you got."

"You might be onto something, Princess," Bowsette agreed, looking down at her fingernails which weren't sharp anymore. "Maybe the power of this crown is starting to wear off, and I won't be wearing it for much longer."

Just then, the door to the dining-room opened and Toadette appeared.

To be continued…


	5. Chapter 5: Another Crown

Chapter 5: Another Crown

"Hey, guys!" Toadette announced. "Look what I found!"

In her tiny hands, Toadette was carrying the exact same crown that Bowsette was wearing.

Shocked by this, Bowsette stood up and almost knocked over the table. "Where did you find it?"

"Out in the fields, near the castle," Toadette answered nervously.

"Weird, because I found my crown near some old ruins in Rogueport," Bowsette claimed.

"If that's the case, we should consult Toadsworth," Peach suggested.

"And Professor Frankly," Mario added.

"Yes," Peach agreed. "I'm sure those two could figure out what these crowns are."

###

While waiting to hear from Frankly after sending him a letter, Peach summoned Toadsworth who examined both Bowsette's crown and the one Toadette found.

"How extraordinary!" Toadsworth remarked. "Of all the known Power-Ups in the Mushroom Kingdom, this is certainly the strangest one I've seen."

"How so?" Bowsette asked.

"Well, Bowser — I mean, Miss Bowsette, I pride myself on knowing a lot of things," Toadsworth answered. "But this crown is simply baffling because I've never encountered anything like it."

"Are you sure?" Toadette questioned.

"Given this crown's effect on Bowsette, based on her personal account anyway, I would have remembered such a Power-Up beforehand," replied Toadsworth.

"What makes you think it's a Power-Up, as opposed to something like the Star Rod?" Mario said to Toadsworth.

In response, Toadsworth adjusted his glasses and stated, "From what I can gather so far, this crown has the ability to transform a non-human creature into something that's more human."

"That much is obvious by now," Bowsette interrupted. "But how is that going to help me?"

"It's merely an observation of the situation," Toadsworth clarified. "However, it will take some time for me and Frankly to understand the nature of this crown as well as the best way to remove it. Since we don't know how permanent the change is on your body, Bowsette, we can't be too hasty to remove the crown just yet. Otherwise, you may be trapped in that form forever."

After a pause, Bowsette said, "So what do you suggest we do?"

"Maybe test the crown's power using other Power-Ups," Toadsworth responded thoughtfully. "Then see what Frankly has to say about all this."

###

A few days later, a response letter came from Frankly which stated that he couldn't find any books about the crown let alone ones that depicted it. Meanwhile, Toadsworth wasn't any closer to figuring out the nature of the crown after using several Power-Ups to test its capabilities. But what he did discover was that the crown was apparently invulnerable to the other Power-Ups nor could it be weakened by them.

"Maybe if you tested the crown on someone, we could gain a better understanding of how it works," Toadette suggested while helping Toadsworth in the makeshift lab Peach created for the sake of testing the crown away from prying eyes.

"And who did you have in mind for the test-subject?" Toadsworth asked.

"Um, me."

This made Toadsworth's eyes widen. "Out of the question! We've seen what the crown can do to a Koopa, but we have no idea what it'll do to a Toad."

"Please, Toadsworth," Toadette begged. "I want to help the Princess as much as I can with Bowsette's situation, despite knowing what she actually is."

"And why is that?"

"Because…if the Princess is willing to go through all this trouble to help Bowsette, then I want to help her too!"

Surprised by Toadette's determination, Toadsworth sighed and said, "Very well. Let's give it a go, shall we?"

Then Toadsworth picked up the crown from the workbench and gave it to Toadette. Without hesitation, the female Toad put it on. There was a sudden flash of light, followed by a surprised gasp from Toadsworth.

"Impossible!" Toadsworth exclaimed. "It's…the Super Crown!"

Suddenly, Toadsworth fainted much to Toadette's surprise.

"Wait, what's the Super Crown?" Toadette demanded, reaching out towards him when she noticed her hands looked different.

Surprised by this, she went to a nearby mirror. Seeing herself, Toadette cried out in surprise and fainted as well. Luigi heard this while standing guard outside the lab, and left to get Mario. After that, the two of them entered the lab using the key Peach gave them. While Toadsworth was lying near the workbench, they found a young woman near a mirror. She looked exactly like Peach, only her hair was done in braids and her pink dress had a mushroom-like width to it. Yet what drew the brothers' attention more was the crown she wore upon her head.

"Mario," Luigi murmured. "Is that—

"Yes, I think it's Toadette," Mario guessed. "Or, it _was_ Toadette before she put the crown on."

"We should try to remove it, before Peach sees this," Luigi suggested. "I'm not sure how she'll feel about seeing Toadette in this form."

"Who I'm more worried about is Toad," Mario admitted. "Because he cares a great deal about Toadette, he probably wouldn't like it if he knew she did this to herself."

Nodding in agreement, Luigi held one side of the crown while Mario took the other. Together, the two brothers pulled with all their might yet not even their combined strength could remove the second crown. Then when Mario considered using one of the Power-Ups in the lab, such as the Fire Flower, Luigi talked him out of it saying they could potentially hurt Toadette if they did that. So with no other choice, Mario and Luigi left the lab and went to tell Peach and Bowsette the bad news.

###

"Guess the old Toad was right in assuming the crown could transform non-human beings into humans," Bowsette observed, looking down at Toadsworth's sleeping form. "But it seems he found out at the cost of his own sanity."

"We don't really know what happened here, though," Peach reminded Bowsette. "At least, not thoroughly enough to determine whether Toadsworth told Toadette to put the crown on or if she did it herself without Toadsworth's consent."

Just then, the girl that was formerly Toadette started to stir. She opened her eyes, which were dark grey instead of bright blue, looking both confused and startled. But when she saw everyone's faces, she covered her face with her hands.

"I'm sorry," the girl muttered, as tears fell down her face. "I'm so sorry."

To be continued…


	6. Chapter 6: A New Princess

Chapter 6: A New Princess

After the girl that was formerly Toadette explained what happened to her, Peach seemed distraught while Bowsette merely frowned. The Mario Brothers, on the other hand, had tense expressions on their faces.

"Should we tell Toad about this?" Mario asked Peach.

"No!" The girl abruptly said. "Please, don't tell him! I can't stand the thought of Toad seeing me like this if he knew what I did."

"But doesn't he have the right to know regardless?" Luigi responded. "I mean, he is your friend after all."

The girl didn't respond.

"He doesn't have to know," Peach stated, helping the girl to her feet. "Because from this day forward, Toadette will now assume the role of a princess."

"What?" The girl exclaimed. "But I don't know anything about being a princess, except from what I've seen Princess Peach do, and if I keep my name it'll make Toad suspicious."

"Then we shall call you…Peachette, my long-lost sister," Peach suggested. "I'm sure that will fool Toad, since you look like me apart from the braids and dark grey eyes."

As the girl looked down at herself, Luigi seemed doubtful. "Are you sure we should do this, Princess? I mean, it's one thing to lie about Bowsette given that she's actually the Mushroom Kingdom's greatest enemy in disguise — no offense, Bowsette."

"None taken," Bowsette shrugged.

"Though in Peachette's case, it doesn't seem right to lie about her to our friends when she didn't do anything wrong to begin with," Luigi finished.

"I think until we can figure out what the Super Crown is and how it can be removed safely, I would rather not let Toad find out what happened," the girl now called Peachette insisted. "Even if Toad knew the truth, he would be worrying about me constantly and I don't want that to get in the way of solving this mystery."

"Come to think of it, how are we going to explain your 'disappearance'?" Mario wondered. "If we claimed you were someone else, Toad would still worry about where 'you' are."

"I'll think of something," Peach claimed. "But for now, I want all of you to refer to Toadette as Peachette. That includes you, Bowsette."

"Okay," Bowsette replied.

Peach gave Bowsette a dubious look. "You promise?"

"I promise," Bowsette answered.

"Really?" Mario raised an eyebrow at Bowsette.

"Hey, I haven't tried kidnapping the princess so far," Bowsette insisted. "That makes me trustworthy, right?"

"Not to me," Mario replied bluntly.

While Bowsette glared at Mario, Peach broke the tension by escorting Peachette out of the study while Luigi carried the still unconscious Toadsworth.

###

Later that day, Peach announced to the Toads in the castle that Toadette and Toadsworth had left for Rogueport to meet up with Professor Frankly to discuss an artifact of great importance without going into the specifics of the artifact-in-question. She also introduced Peachette, who tried not to stare at Toad who looked upset. Then after the Toads had left to continue their work, Toad walked up the stairs to the balcony and interceded Peach.

"What's going on?" Toad demanded. "Why didn't you tell me Toadsworth and Toadette were heading for Rogueport? I could've gone with them, you know."

"They were gone by the time I figured out they had left," Peach lied. "So there was no way to inform you on time."

"Though I'm surprised they didn't tell me about it first," Toad said to himself out loud. "Did they find some crucial information about the crown that required them to go see Professor Frankly in person about it?"

"Yes, they probably did," Peach smiled nervously. "In the meantime, though, would you please show Peachette around the castle?"

Peachette flinched for a moment, but then she quickly composed herself.

"As you wish," Toad bowed.

"Once you're done, bring Peachette to the ballroom before Bowsette's etiquette lesson starts," Peach ordered. "I think the two of them could learn a lot from each other."

"Very well," replied Toad. "Come with me, Princess Peachette."

So reluctantly, Peachette followed Toad. As he talked about the various aspects of the castle and its history, she remained quiet deliberating in her head about whether to tell Toad the truth about herself or not.

"So where were you living before coming to the Mushroom Kingdom?" Toad asked abruptly.

"Um, around," Peachette responded.

"It just seems strange that Peach never mentioned having a sister before until now," Toad said. "Were you kidnapped at a young age or something?"

"Yeah, by some Koopas when I was only a baby."

"If that's the case, what's with the crown?"

Realizing she still wore the cursed crown, Peachette hesitated to answer.

"Because it looks exactly like the one Bowsette wears," Toad stated, looking back at Peachette. "Kind of a strange coincidence, isn't it?"

Seeing Toad's naive expression made Peachette realize he wasn't suspecting anything, or at least he didn't appear to, causing her to say, "Yeah, it kind of is. After the Koopas took me away from the Mushroom Kingdom, I was found by…an isolated kingdom of Toads who raised me."

"What was the name of the kingdom?"

"You've probably never heard of it."

"Try me!"

"Porcini…Valley…"

Toad paused for a moment. "Hmm, you got me there."

"Anyway, when I was old enough to travel on my own, they gave me this crown as a farewell gift to prove to Princess Peach that I was royalty just like her."

"Was this crown something the Toads found in their kingdom, or did they have it all along?"

"I'm…not sure. I had never seen the crown before until they gave it to me."

"I see."

Afterwards, Toad became silent as well which worried Peachette.

###

By the time Peachette was taken to the ballroom by Toad, Bowsette was already there with Peach. It turned out that Peach wanted both Bowsette and Peachette to participate in the same etiquette lessons together so they could both learn how to behave like proper members of royalty. Neither of them liked the prospect of being near each other, especially Peachette who couldn't tell if Bowsette's hungry stare was at the cakes arranged before them or her.

To be continued…


	7. Chapter 7: A Friendly Game of Tennis

Chapter 7: A Friendly Game of Tennis

"Oh, no!" Peach exclaimed, holding a letter in her hands.

"What is it, Princess - I mean, Peach?" Peachette asked, which got the Mario Brothers' attention along with Bowsette's as they all sat around the dining table during breakfast.

"Because of everything that's happened lately, I completely forgot that Princess Daisy is coming over for a game of tennis with me today," Peach explained, looking embarrassed.

"Really?" Bowsette smirked. "I could use a bit of fresh air from being cooped up in this castle for so long."

"You've only been here for a week," Mario pointed out.

While Bowsette glared at Mario, Peach shook her head. "It would complicate things with you being present. Besides, this is something Daisy and I prefer to do alone together since we rarely see each other."

Bowsette scuffed. "Except for those other times we got together to play tennis, race go-karts, do party games—

"I know, Bowsette, but this is different," Peach insisted. "In those instances, we were competing as rivals to win a competition. But these single matches are more friendly by comparison, since they're more of an excuse to spend time together than anything else."

"Can I at least watch?" Bowsette asked.

"Like I said before, I don't want anyone else present except me and Daisy. Can you please respect that?"

"Fine," Bowsette grumbled, leaving the dining table. "It's not like I wanted to play tennis."

Peachette glanced at everyone awkwardly before following Bowsette out of the dining room. Though Bowsette had gotten better at walking in heels since taking Peach's etiquette lessons, she still stumbled slightly which allowed Peachette to catch up to her.

"If it's any consultation, she doesn't allow the Mario Brothers or me and Toad to attend her private tennis matches with Daisy either," Peachette explained. "So I wouldn't take it personally that you can't go."

"It's not the reason that bothers me," Bowsette replied. "I was just hoping to use it as an excuse to do something other than taking etiquette lessons and eating cakes, which I'm frankly getting sick of."

"Well, there's always the private study which has a lot of books you could read."

"Ugh, I don't like reading!" Bowsette protested. "I need to do something more active, otherwise I might start going stir-crazy in this joint. Now we can't have that given who I really am, right?"

"N-No," Peachette murmured, flinching as Bowsette stepped uncomfortably closer to her.

"So how about this: if you help me find something more…appropriate to wear, I'll make sure Toad doesn't find out that you're lying to him."

"Why do you say that?"

"He's been asking around, trying to find out if 'Porcini Valley' is a real place. I assume that's where you said you're from, right?"

Reluctantly, Peachette nodded.

"Then do we have a deal?"

###

Wearing a uniform that was basically a shorter version of her regular dress without the pouffy sleeves, Peach walked onto a large tennis court surrounded by tall hedges where another young woman stood. She had medium-length brunette hair and blue eyes wearing a yellow top and orange short-shorts.

"Daisy!" Peach waved.

"Oh, hi, Peach," the brunette-haired girl responded. "I was just about to do some warmup swings before you got here."

"Mind if I practice with you?" Peach asked. "My arms have gotten a little stiff lately."

"Sure," Daisy shrugged.

So the two did a series of swings in near perfect unison, except that Daisy's swings were considerably stronger than Peach's.

"How are things in Sarasaland?" Peach said after the warmup swings were done.

"Pretty boring, actually," Daisy replied, doing a fake yawn. "Apart from Wario showing up every now and then to cause trouble with his swindling schemes, no major threats have afflicted Sarasaland in years."

"Well, that's good," Peach smiled.

"I hear things have been pretty quiet in the Mushroom Kingdom lately since Bowser got stuck on the Moon, but there's a rumor going around about him going missing altogether," Daisy mentioned. "Is this true?"

"Unfortunately, yes," Peach responded nervously.

"You make it sound like it's a bad thing," Daisy noted. "Unless you liked getting kidnapped by that oversized Koopa."

"No, it's more complicated than that."

"How so?"

Before Peach could respond, the sound of footsteps caught her and Daisy's attention. It was Bowsette, only she was wearing a dark grey sports bra a black mini-skirt and light grey short-shorts underneath while her green shell and orange tail were fully exposed. Behind her, Peachette stood wearing an exact copy of Peach's tennis outfit.

"Pardon my intrusion, ladies, but do you have room for one more?" Bowsette said, holding a tennis racket that was black with spikes along the edges.

"Um, sure," Daisy replied, giving Bowsette an odd look. "And who are you?"

"Didn't Princess Peach say anything?" Bowsette glanced at Peach, who turned away. "Maybe I'll tell you after a friendly match of tennis. What do you say?"

"Okay," Daisy said, looking determined. "If I win, you tell me your name."

"But if I win, you have to acknowledge that I'm the best tennis player around," Bowsette grinned, causing her fangs becoming more visible in the process.

As Daisy went to get a tennis ball from a nearby basket, Peachette walked over to Peach.

"Sorry, Peach," Peachette apologized. "She made me help her."

"It's okay," Peach assured. "We'll sort this out later. Where are Mario and Luigi?"

"They're…distracted right now," Peachette explained. "I lied to them that Yoshi had run away, but he's actually sleeping in the apple orchard."

Peach glanced at Bowsette. "Was this her idea?"

"No, it was mine," Peachette clarified. "She just told me to get rid of them in case they messed up her plan."

"Hey!" Bowsette snapped, glaring at Peach and Peachette. "Less talking and more watching! Now let's get this match started."

"Yes," Daisy agreed, bouncing the ball up and down with one hand. "Now that you've got me curious about what's really going on here."

To be continued…


	8. Chapter 8: Trust Matters

**Sorry for the long delay on this chapter. Been busy with other fanfics and waiting for** ** _New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe_** **to be released to see the actual Super Crown in action. I'll still keep the main concept of my fanfic going, despite how the Super Crown works in the actual game, because it's still a fun idea.**

Chapter 8: Trust Matters

Though Bowsette made powerful swings with her tennis racket, she was not used to the agility of her new body which gave Daisy an advantage as she was both agile and powerful. Yet the tennis match between them ended in a draw, much to Peach and Peachette's surprise. Then just as Bowsette demanded a rematch, Mario and Luigi showed up with Yoshi trailing behind them.

"What are you doing out here?" Mario said to Bowsette.

"Just stretching my legs a bit," Bowsette replied, looking down at Mario with a coy smirk. "Is there a problem?"

"I though Princess Peach made it clear that she wanted to play her tennis match with Princess Daisy alone," Mario reminded.

"And I think Princess Peachette lied to us about Yoshi running away so we wouldn't stop you from coming here," Luigi added, eying Peachette suspiciously.

"It wasn't my fault," Peachette claimed. "Bowsette made me do it."

"Bowsette?" Daisy glanced at Bowsette. "Is that your name?"

"Yes," Bowsette answered reluctantly, folding her arms.

"Are you related to Bowser?" Daisy asked.

"He's…my brother," replied Bowsette.

Daisy paused with a concerned look on her face. "Did you come to the Mushroom Kingdom to find him?"

Before Bowsette could answer, Peach interrupted, "Let's break for lunch. Then we'll discuss this further during our private match, okay?"

"Okay," Daisy responded.

So everyone left the tennis court while Yoshi was led back to the stable where he was before Peachette took him to the apple orchard earlier. At a veranda outside the castle, they dined on cucumber sandwiches and tea though Bowsette ate pickled ginger rice balls instead. Then Peach and Daisy went back to the tennis court while Mario and Luigi escorted Bowsette and Peachette back into the castle though Bowsette was the more reluctant of the two.

"So who is Bowsette?" Daisy asked just as she made the first serve.

Surprised, Peach missed the ball. "What do you mean?"

"I'm pretty sure Bowser doesn't have a sister," Daisy pointed out as she picked up another ball. "Otherwise, he would have mentioned her at some point."

"But we still don't know who Bowser, Jr.'s mother is," Peach said. "And Bowser's never mentioned her."

"Yeah, but that's different," replied Daisy as she served again forcing Peach to hit the ball with her racket. "I mean, why would Bowser's sister show up now?"

"Because this is the first time Bowser has actually gone missing instead of just off plotting another scheme," Peach pointed out as she manage to score a point.

"Then how do we know he's not doing that as we speak?" Daisy picked up the ball that was on her side while Peach did the same. "Those missing posters I saw coming here could be fake, and that woman who claims to be Bowser's sister could be a Koopa spy."

"You're jumping to a lot of conclusions, Daisy," Peach remarked as she served the ball in Daisy's direction.

"I'm just saying you should be cautious," Daisy responded, hitting the ball back. "And given how many times you've been kidnapped, I would think you would be less trusting of strangers. Especially the ones associated with Bowser."

Peach said nothing in response so she and Daisy continued their tennis match in silence. Later, Daisy offered to spend the night in the castle which Peach was initially against but caved in under pressure. This forced Mario Luigi and Peachette to not say much about Bowsette at dinner, who didn't talk about herself out of embarrassment. Then as everyone started to turn in for the night, Luigi was intercepted by Daisy.

"Hey, Luigi," Daisy said while smiling brightly. "Could you do a favor for me?"

"Um, sure, Princess Daisy," Luigi responded, looking nervous.

Putting her hands on Luigi's shoulders, Daisy stated, "I want you to help me figure out who Bowsette truly is."

"What?" Luigi exclaimed. "B-But why me?"

"Because you're only one I'm willing to trust," Daisy answered. "Peach is clearly hiding something, but I don't want to jeopardize our friendship, Mario seems to be in on it and I'm not sure if I trust Bowsette or Peachette. Now if you do know something about Bowsette, don't hesitate to tell me. We're friends, right?"

In response, Luigi nodded.

After putting her hands down, Daisy asked, "Now, will you accompany me to the private study?"

Luigi hesitated. "Why?"

"There has to be a book in there about Dark Land and its ruling Koopas," Daisy insisted, and dragged Luigi by the hand down the hallway.

They went down the stairs into the foyer and noticed the private study was open. Cautiously, they went inside and noticed a single lantern in the darkness being held by a familiar face.

"Toad," Daisy realized, startling him.

"Oh, hi Princess Daisy," Toad greeted, turning to face Daisy until Luigi gave him an irritated look. "And Luigi…"

"I didn't expect to see you in a place like this," Daisy remarked. "Not that I'm implying you don't read in your spare time or anything like that."

"I'm trying to find the place where Peachette grew up before she came to the Mushroom Kingdom," Toad explained. "Ever heard of Porcini Valley?"

"No, I can't say I have," Daisy replied. "What do you know about it?"

"Peachette told me that a kingdom of Toads live there and they raised her after she was kidnapped as a baby by Koopas," Toad elaborated. "Yet none of the maps in this study show Porcini Valley, including the old ones."

"Maybe it's a kingdom that hasn't been discovered yet," Daisy suggested.

"Yeah, I'm kind of tempted to go looking for it myself," Toad said. "But what are you two doing here at this time of night?"

"We were hoping to find a book on Dark Land's Koopas and see if Bowsette really does exist," Daisy explained.

"Ah, okay," Toad responded nervously.

"If we look together, we'll surely find what we're looking for," Daisy suggested. "Right, boys?"

Luigi and Toad looked at each other before nodding reluctantly.

To be continued…


	9. Chapter 9: Trouble in Sarasaland

Chapter 9: Trouble in Sarasaland

So for the rest of the night, Daisy Toad and Luigi searched the study for the books they were trying to find. But in the end, they fell asleep from exhaustion and were found the next morning by Peach and two other Toads. She ordered them to be taken to the guest quarters, minus the individual ones Peachette and Bowsette were in along with the one where Toadsworth was still lying in a coma.

"I wonder what those three were doing in the study," Bowsette wondered out loud during breakfast with Mario Peach and Peachette.

"Well, we won't know until they wake up," Peachette responded.

"That's true, but isn't it a little concerning given how nosy Princess Daisy was yesterday," Bowsette reminded.

"Maybe we should tell her the truth," Mario suggested.

Peach hesitated. "If I did, we would have to trust her to not tell anyone back in Sarasaland since it will ultimately draw attention to the Mushroom Kingdom."

"And we can't have that, since we still haven't figured out how to remove these crowns," Bowsette added and looked at Peachette. "Now you said Toadsworth called them a 'Super Crown'?"

"Yes, and then he passed out from shock," Peachette said. "It's like he remembered something bad that happened with them in the past."

"Do you know anything about a Super Crown?" Bowsette asked Peach.

This made Peach touch her own crown, which was gold with blue and red gemstones around it. "I'm…not sure."

"Why do you say that?" Bowsette frowned. "Is there something you're not telling us?"

"Leave her alone, Bowsette!" Mario insisted.

"Or what? You're going to toss me around again?" Bowsette taunted.

"I have a Fire Flower, and I'm not afraid to use it," Mario threatened, holding up a bright red flower in his hand.

"Please, don't fight here," Peachette pleaded. "We're clearly on edge about this whole secrecy thing with Bowsette and the mystery of these Super Crowns. Perhaps we should—

"Princess Peach!" Announced a Toad who came into the ballroom area. "We received a message from Sarasaland that is to be delivered to Princess Daisy. Shall I give it to her?"

"Yes, though she's asleep at the moment," Peach said.

"Should I wait until she wakes up?" The Toad asked.

"Yes, thank you," Peach nodded.

###

Later that day, Daisy woke up and was given the message from Sarasaland.

"This isn't good," Daisy murmured as she read the message in the presence of Peach and the others. "Apparently, Koopas have been sighted in Sarasaland and they're antagonizing the citizens. I must leave at once."

"But there's a chance they might capture you," Peach warned. "Why don't you stay here?"

"And leave my citizens to the mercy of the Koopas?" Daisy shook her head. "No, I'm going."

Then Daisy walked away before Peach could stop her.

"I'll accompany Princess Daisy," Toad offered.

"That's very thoughtful of you, Toad, but I would feel better if the Mario Brothers went with her," Peach said.

"Then I will go," Luigi offered. "Mario needs to stay here to keep an eye on Bowsette."

"It's my son," Bowsette abruptly said, causing everyone to look at her.

"Your son?" Peachette blinked. "You mean Bowser, Jr.?"

In response, Bowsette nodded. "He's probably looking for me, after Kamek told him what happened. But he knows sending Koopas to the Mushroom Kingdom would draw the Mario Brothers' attention, so he's targeting Sarasaland first."

"If that's the case, Shadow Mario won't be far behind," Mario realized. "Maybe I should go with Princess Daisy instead of Luigi."

"Just because you fought Shadow Mario before doesn't mean I can't fight him," Luigi argued, and looked at Bowsette. "Besides, I'd rather deal with a baby Koopa than a full-sized one."

"If either of you Plumbers hurt my son, you'll regret it," Bowsette growled as her eyes turned red and her nails grew sharp.

"Okay, fine, Luigi can go," Mario said. "He'll be less likely to hurt him than I."

"Because I'm a coward?" Luigi frowned. "Or are you too polite to say it?"

"Guys, we're not getting anywhere with this pointless arguing," Peachette interrupted. "Either someone goes with Princess Daisy, or we make her stay here."

"I don't want to force Daisy to stay here, because she'll try to leave regardless, so Toad and Luigi will accompany her," Peach stated, though Bowsette gave her a concerned look. "But if Bowser, Jr., is behind the Koopas' appearance in Sarasaland, neither of you must hurt him. Understood?"

In response, Luigi and Toad nodded.

"Good," Peach smiled. "I'll let Daisy know while you two pack."

Then Peach left the ballroom area, while Toad and Luigi followed behind.

"Is there a chance it could be the Wario Brothers?" Mario asked Bowsette.

"They usually do their own dirty work without having to rely on Koopas," Bowsette pointed out. "Besides, Bowser, Jr., would know about it if it was them since he's my heir."

"Would it help if you confronted Bowser, Jr., yourself?" Peachette suggested.

"No," Bowsette insisted. "I can't let my son see me in this form. He wouldn't understand, just like Kammy."

###

"So was there another reason you wanted to come?" Luigi asked Toad as they waited outside the castle. "I mean, you're not much of a fighter."

"I know, but I figured this would be a good opportunity to find Porcini Valley along the way," Toad explained.

"Um, yeah, about that…" Luigi was about to say something when Daisy showed up carrying a large suitcase.

"You know, I was able to come here by myself without getting attacked by anything," Daisy pointed out. "But Peach is understandably concerned about my safety, and I wouldn't mind the extra company."

"Do you want me to carry that suitcase for you?" Luigi offered.

"Sure," Daisy said, tossing her suitcase in Luigi's direction.

He caught it, but ended up falling down due to how heavy it was. Then Luigi got to his feet and dusted himself off like it was no big deal.

"So how do we get to Sarasaland from here?" Toad asked.

"Through a Warp Pipe, silly," Daisy smiled. "It's a few miles over by those green hills."

As Daisy pointed, Luigi and Toad looked seeing the faint outline of an orange pipe.

"Well, we should get going," Daisy said. "I want to at least reach the Warp Pipe before it gets dark, which won't be long."

This made Luigi shiver in fear briefly, but he quickly got over it as he carried Daisy's suitcase while Toad followed Daisy as they walked toward the green hills.

To be continued…


	10. Chapter 10: The Search for Spirits

**So I thought I would take a break from working on my** ** _Disney Academy_** **sequel fanfic to continue this story, since it's been awhile since I've worked on it. Hope you guys enjoy it!**

Chapter 10: The Search for Spirits

While Luigi Daisy and Toad were spending the night near the Sarasaland Warp Pipe, Bowsette had decided to sneak out of her bedroom. To get past Mario, who still insisted on standing guard outside the bedroom door, she slipped slices of a Poison Mushroom that she obtained in Rogueport onto his pizza during dinner. This in turn made him sick and leave the table, though she heard retching noises coming from one of the castle bathrooms.

"Serves you right," Bowsette muttered to herself as she closed the bedroom door behind her. "Now let's see if I can find some actual booze in this place. I'm tired of always drinking tea."

Down the hallway, she glared at some Toads who ran away in fear before heading down the stairs into the main foyer. From there, she went down a hallway that was opposite the main doors before coming upon a door with a golden lock on it. Angered, Bowsette felt her teeth grow sharper along with her nails followed by a stream of fire that escaped her mouth. The flames hit the lock and melted it in a matter of seconds.

"Hmm, guess that's one way to let off some steam," Bowsette remarked and turned the handle on the door.

Inside, there was a stone staircase that went down into the darkness. Unafraid, Bowsette walked along the side of the staircase clinging to the wall for balance. At the bottom, she used her fiery breath to light an unlit torch and illuminated a long gold-plated hallway full of pits and mushroom-shaped axes that swung back and forth.

"Huh," Bowsette remarked. "I never expected the Princess to have a dungeon filled with traps. Maybe this is where she keeps the booze, so no one else may have it. But, having planned my own dungeons, I can probably figure this one out no problem."

So Bowsette leaped over the pits and avoided the axes, having grown more accustomed to her new body's agility following the tennis match with Daisy. But upon reaching the end of the hallway where a gold brick wall stood, some spikes appeared below Bowsette's feet. Narrowly avoiding them, she almost fell into the pit behind her but grabbed onto the ledge closest to the wall dropping the torch in the process. As Bowsette watched the torch disappear down below her, she looked up at the spikes and noticed they were time-based.

"There's got to be a hidden passage behind that wall," Bowsette guessed as her eyes adjusted to the darkness of the hallway. "Otherwise, what's the point in putting spikes in front of a dead end?"

Examining the wall, she noticed an obvious line that cut horizontally at about the same height as a Toad. But above it, there were four linear holes arranged in a circular pattern.

"Interesting," Bowsette observed. "My Super Crown has four points revolving in a circle, just like those holes. Perhaps if I time myself correctly, I can put my crown into those holes and open the hidden passage before the spikes appear again."

Watching the spikes for another round, Bowsette waited till they were just about to go down before getting back up. Leaning forward, she positioned her head till the crown's points lined up with the holes and ran full speed at the wall. However, her crown had round bulbs at the end of each point which couldn't fit into the thin holes in the wall. By the time Bowsette realized this, the spikes had come back. She screamed in pain and found herself falling backwards again. This time, she barely grasped the ledge.

"Bowsette!"

Hearing a familiar voice, Bowsette looked over her shoulder and saw Mario leaping over the pits and avoiding the axes. He was also throwing fireballs from his hands to illuminate the torches along the sides of the hallway as his clothes had changed from blue overalls and a red shirt to red overalls and a white shirt, indicating he had eaten the Fire Flower from earlier.

"What are you doing here?" Mario asked as he stood across from the pit Bowsette was currently dangling over.

"Trying to find a way out of the castle," Bowsette lied.

This made Mario fold his arms.

"Okay, I was looking for a cellar that might have some booze and found this dungeon by accident," Bowsette corrected reluctantly.

"Is that another lie?" Mario demanded.

"No, I'm telling the truth this time," Bowsette claimed.

"I don't believe you," Mario responded bluntly.

"Ugh!" Bowsette groaned. "Stupid Plumber!"

"What did you say?" Mario snapped.

Before Bowsette could retort, her hand lost its grip and she fell into the pit. In a flash, Mario jumped over the pit grabbed Bowsette's hand and gripped onto the ledge on the other side.

"Care to repeat yourself, Koopa?" Mario said between breaths as he tried to lift himself up while still holding onto Bowsette.

In turn, Bowsette said nothing.

"That's what I thought." Mario then took a deep breath and used his strength to pull himself up enough to getting footing on top of the ledge before trying to pull Bowsette up.

"Hurry up, Mario!" Bowsette insisted. "Or the spikes will—

Just as Mario was close to pulling Bowsette out of the pit, the spikes came up under his feet causing him to cry out and let go of Bowsette forcing her to catch herself on the ledge again. Meanwhile, Mario flew backwards and almost fell into the pit himself when Bowsette grabbed his hand. However, his clothes had changed back to the blue overalls and red shirt.

Sighing, Mario looked up at Bowsette. "You…saved me."

"Yeah, you did the same for me just now," Bowsette reminded him. "Now let's get out of here."

"How?"

"I'll toss you back to the ledge behind you," Bowsette explained. "Then after you get up, I'll follow you. Okay?"

Mario looked back and then he nodded up at Bowsette. In turn, she tossed him back and he caught onto the ledge. Once he got up, Bowsette followed his example and together they left the trap-filled dungeon and ascended the winding staircase.

To be continued…


	11. Chapter 11: The Mysterious Dungeon

Chapter 11: The Mysterious Dungeon

"Why did you save me?" Bowsette asked Mario the next morning on their way to breakfast. "I mean, I'm your worst enemy after all."

Pausing, Mario said, "I don't know. Maybe I was acting on impulse."

"Like you were saving Princess Peach instead of a Koopa who just so happens to look like her?" Bowsette frowned.

"You don't look like Peach," Mario claimed. "Your dress is different, for starters."

"But I have the same blonde hair and blue eyes," Bowsette pointed out. "Plus, Kamek mistook me for Princess Peach based on what he heard from Kammy Koopa."

"Okay, I see your point," Mario interjected. "Though I think the reason I saved you in that moment was to correct your 'Stupid Plumber' insult."

"Says the guy who saves the same Princess over and over again without getting much of a reward in turn," Bowsette responded. "Plus, if you had let me fall I would've been out of your hair for good."

Clenching his fist, Mario snapped, "So you saying you wanted to die?"

This made Bowsette stop. "No, I—

"Then why are we arguing about this?" Mario continued. "How is me saving you any different from you saving me? What was up with that?"

"It was…a moment of weakness," Bowsette claimed. "I would've let you fall, but because I was blown away by the fact that you saved me it made me feel like returning the favor. But that doesn't mean we're not enemies anymore."

Mario huffed. "All right, then we'll agree that last night was a moment of weakness on both of our parts and agree not to speak of it again."

Folding her arms, Bowsette nodded. "Fine."

"However, I do find it strange that Princess Peach would have such a dangerous dungeon in her own castle," Mario noted. "Was it one of the ones you made when you took over her castle after she promised to bake me a cake?"

"No, I would've added lava to those pits," Bowsette replied. "And I don't normally use axes. Plus, there was a circular pattern of linear holes in the wall at the end of the dungeon that seemed to imply there was a hidden passage beyond it."

"Linear holes?" Mario looked up at Bowsette's crown for a moment. "Like the points of a crown could fit into them?"

Seeing where Mario was looking, Bowsette clenched her fist. "I tried using my own crown, but apparently the points were too round to fit into the holes. Maybe I needed a crown with sharper points, like Princess Peach's."

"Don't get any ideas about stealing Peach's crown," Mario warned. "Otherwise, I will have to tell her about the mysterious dungeon."

"But if she doesn't know about it, she might be inclined to check it out for herself and possibly get hurt," Bowsette pointed out. "And you wouldn't want that happening to your precious Princess, right?"

Frowning, Mario looked away from Bowsette and the two arrived at the breakfast table where Peach was already sipping tea and Peachette was sampling fruit.

"Good morning," Peach said politely.

"How's your tummy today, Mario?" Peachette asked.

"Better," Mario answered. "I think some Poison Mushroom slices got added to my pizza."

"By who?" Peach asked, and looked at Bowsette. "Did you do it?"

"What?" Bowsette acted surprised. "I'd never do something as lowly as that."

Peach gave Bowsette a dubious stare.

"All right, I did it so I could look for some booze without Mario interfering," Bowsette confessed. "In retrospect, I should've had him escort me."

"Well, I hope your little trip was worth it," Peach frowned as she put her teacup down hard enough to make a clacking sound from the saucer. "Because for the rest of the day, you will be confined to your bedroom under Mario's constant surveillance."

"Really?" Bowsette complained. "It's not like I beat Mario up."

"But you poisoned him, which is a form of injury," Peach said. "And if you remember, our agreement was that if you hurt any of my subjects such as Mario or try to take over the Mushroom Kingdom in any way you're not welcome here."

This stunned Bowsette. "So…you're kicking me out?"

"I haven't decided yet," Peach replied. "But until I do decide, you will stay in your room until further notice. Understand?"

Without speaking, Bowsette took her plate full of donuts and Black Tea set back to her room.

"Are you sure confining her is a good idea?" Peachette said nervously. "If she gets mad, she might destroy her room and harm any Toads that happen to be nearby."

"I'm aware of the risk," Peach claimed. "But I don't think Bowsette would be stupid enough to do something as drastic as that, given her present condition."

###

Later, after Bowsette's dinner was brought into her room, Mario decided to prop the chair he rested in while guarding Bowsette against the door handle and head down to the study. He avoided the patrolling Toads by leaping over them and opened the study with a key he swiped from the Toad that watched the study during the day. Inside, he located a book detailing all the dungeons in the Mushroom Kingdom. To his surprise, there was a missing page next to the entry on Peach's Castle Cellar. So Mario found a book on Peach's Castle and found another missing page before checking out the section that had books relating to the Mushroom Kingdom's history. While most of the books were close together, a noticeable gap appeared in the early part of the section.

"Hmm, it seems someone went through great lengths to keep that dungeon Bowsette and I found a secret," Mario speculated. "The missing pages are proof enough, and I bet the book that appears to be gone from this section is also about the dungeon. But the question is: who would do this? Apart from Princess Peach, the only other person who spends a lot of time in the study is Toadette — or Peachette I should say. I'll ask her about it tomorrow, but try to be subtle in case she is the one responsible."

To be continued…


	12. Chapter 12: Bowser, Jr,'s Trial

Chapter 12: Bowser, Jr.,'s Trial

The following morning, a letter from Princess Daisy was delivered to Peach during breakfast. It said that she was fine and the people of Sarasaland were saved from the invading Koopas by Luigi and Toad. The one responsible for the invasion was indeed Bowser, Jr., who was defeated and not harmed. But what surprised everyone at the breakfast table, especially Bowsette, was that Bowser, Jr., had been arrested for his actions and was going to be put on trial in Sarasaland.

"Why should Bowser, Jr., get a trial when there's enough evidence to support that he committed the invasion?" Mario wondered.

"Apparently, Bowser, Jr., himself requested to be put on trial," Peach said, reading through Daisy's letter. "He's also acting as his own defense attorney, after the Pianta one from Isle Delfino refused to represent him."

"I guess that makes sense, after the giant mess Bowser, Jr., caused on Isle Delfino in his Shadow Mario form," Mario responded.

"But the Pianta attorney will be acting as prosecutor during the trial," Peach added. "And he's asking us to come as witnesses to testify against Bowser, Jr."

"Then that means Bowsette and I will have to come with you," Peachette realized, glancing nervously at Bowsette as she spoke. "Assuming you're not comfortable leaving Bowsette here with the Toads."

"Has Bowser, Jr., requested any witnesses so far?" Bowsette asked.

"Daisy says he's only requested one," Peach stated. "You — or Bowser to be more specific."

This made Bowsette look downward. "He's using this trial as a ploy to find me."

"What will you do?" Peachette asked.

"As much as I want to speak on behalf of my own son, I'm afraid I can't go until this Super Crown mystery is solved," Bowsette replied, standing up.

"But you can't ignore a court summons," Peach insisted. "That's against the law, regardless if it's in Sarasaland or the Mushroom Kingdom. I'm sure Dark Land has similar rules as well."

Bowsette huffed. "We don't have trials in Dark Land. I decide what happens to the accused, and that's that."

Clenching the letter in her hand, Peach stood up. "You're not in a position of power anymore, Bowsette! Unless you want to go back to Dark Land, this court summons cannot be ignored whether you like it or not."

"What if she doesn't have to answer the court summons as Bowser?" Peachette suggested. "She could go in Bowser's place as Bowsette without jeopardizing her true identity and still speak on behalf of Bowser, Jr."

"Yet all witnesses are required to tell the truth under a court of law," Mario pointed out. "If the Pianta attorney asks questions about Bowsette's identity and he catches her lying, that could complicate things."

"Don't worry about me, Mario," Bowsette grinned. "I'm not afraid of lying under oath so long as my reputation as Bowser stays intact."

Peachette glanced at Peach, who looked concerned. Meanwhile, Mario thought about bringing up the mysterious dungeon to Peachette but decided not to in that moment.

###

Upon arriving in Sarasaland through the Warp Pipe, Peach Mario Peachette and Bowsette were met by Daisy Toad and Luigi. While Toad and Peachette avoided eye-contact, the rest made their way to Daisy's castle to put their belongings in the guest rooms before heading to the courthouse which was presided over by a panel of four judges that represented each kingdom in Sarasaland. These included: a Gao from the Birabuto Kingdom, a Yurarin from the Muda Kingdom, a Tokotoko from the Easton Kingdom, and a Pionpi from the Chai Kingdom.

"Order! Order!" The sphinx-like Gao judge demanded. "This courtroom is now in session for the trial of Bowser, Jr., versus the Subjects of Sarasaland."

The seahorse-looking Yurarin nodded inside its large fish tank, the rock-like Tokotoko bowed its body slightly forward, and the zombie-like Pionpi bounced slightly. In the dock sat Bowser, Jr., himself, who looked like a smaller version of Bowser but with his red hair tied into a ponytail while wearing a black scarf around his neck that had a teeth-like design on it and black braces without spikes. Bowsette fought the urge to get up and grab him, with Mario giving her a stern look as he sat next to her with Luigi on the other side looking nervous.

"First, let us begin with opening statements starting with the Prosecution," the Gao judge said, turning to the bespectacled Pianta attorney who wore a business suit and a skirt made of leaves.

"Your Honors, the accused has been charged with attempting to invade Sarasaland with an army of Koopas," the Pianta attorney stated. "Fortunately, this invasion was stopped by the efforts of Peach's faithful servant Toad and Mario's brother Luigi. But the subjects of Sarasaland demand justice for the terror caused by Bowser's own son, which I can only sympathize with as he ravaged my homeland of Isle Delfino not too long ago. Therefore, it only seems fitting that this monstrous Koopa be banished from Sarasaland and sent to the moon like his father before him."

In the benches, the various Sarasaland civilians rallied in agreement though Daisy silenced them from her position on the second-floor balcony.

"Thank you, Princess Daisy," the Gao judge nodded and looked at Bowser, Jr. "Now, what does the Defendant and Defense have to say?"

In response, Bowser, Jr., folded his arms and said, "I wasn't trying to invade Sarasaland, but look for my Papa. Because Sarasaland's subjects weren't very helpful, I had no choice but to use force with my Papa's Koopas. And even if you did send me to the moon, my Papa managed to leave it so I can too!"

As Bowser, Jr., pulled one eyelid down and blew a raspberry at the judges, Bowsette smiled though Mario glared at her.

The Gao judge was not amused and turned to the Pianta attorney. "Prosecution, you may call your first witness."

"Very well, your Honors," the Pianta attorney responded, adjusting his glasses. "I call Mario Mario to the witness stand."

To be continued…


	13. Chapter 13: Touchy Testimony

Chapter 13: Touchy Testimony

Without hesitation, Mario stepped forward and sat in the witness stand. Then the four judges made him swear an oath to tell the truth in the presence of Princess Daisy.

"Mister Mario," the Pianta attorney said once the oath was sworn. "What is your occupation?"

"Professionally, I am a plumber," Mario answered.

"Yet for years, you have saved many kingdoms from evildoers like Bowser Tatanga Sir Grodus and so forth," the Pianta attorney pointed out. "Would you count these heroic deeds as part of a separate profession altogether?"

"Ah, no," Mario said after a pause. "I do not ask the subjects of these kingdoms to pay me money for my deeds, so it's more of a hobby, I guess."

The Pianta attorney gave Mario a dubious look. "Then taking down Bowser, Jr., who was causing trouble in your name on Isle Delfino, was simply part of this 'hobby'?"

Mario hesitated to answer.

"Objection!" Bowser, Jr., cried, catching the judges' attention. "This has nothing to do with the case at hand."

This made the Tokotoko judge turn to the other judges who nodded. "Objection sustained. Get to the point, Prosecutor."

Without flinching, the Pianta attorney turned back to Mario. "Given your past history with Bowser, Jr., would you say he intended to invade Sarasaland?"

Glancing at Bowsette, Mario responded, "Perhaps."

"Thank you," the Pianta attorney replied. "I have nothing further to ask."

"Bowser, Jr.," the Gao judge said. "Would you care to cross-examine the witness?"

"No way!" Bowser, Jr., objected. "I don't need a stupid Plumber to speak on my behalf."

Once again, Bowsette smiled at Bowser, Jr.,'s words which only irritated Mario as he left the witness stand and sat next to her. After that, the Pianta attorney called Peach to the witness stand and she answered similar questions with some variation though her answer was the same as Mario's regarding Bowser, Jr.,'s motivation for the so-called invasion. When given the chance to cross-examine Peach, Bowser, Jr., refused.

Seemingly satisfied, the Pianta attorney said, "I believe this case to be decided in favor of sentencing Bowser, Jr., to—

"Hold it!" Bowser, Jr., interrupted. "There is one witness I would like to call to the witness stand: King Bowser!"

In response, Bowsette stood up much to everyone's surprise except for Mario Luigi Peach Toad and Peachette.

"You're not Papa," Bowser, Jr., realized. "Who are you?"

Bowsette paused before saying, "I'm…Bowsette, Bowser's sister."

"But why did you answer when Bowser's name was called?" The Pianta attorney asked.

"Because I'm here to speak on behalf of Bowser, Jr., in Bowser's place," Bowsette answered.

Clenching his fist, Bowser, Jr., muttered, "Shoot, I thought Papa would come for sure."

The Yurarin judge made bubbling noises in its tank causing the Pionpi judge to ask Bowser, Jr., "My college ask will you accept testimony of Miss Bowsette? Otherwise, trial will go in favor of Prosecutor."

Bowser, Jr., looked back at Bowsette and sighed. "Fine. Take the witness stand."

So Bowsette went to the witness stand, allowing everyone in the court to see her green shell and orange tail which made sitting in the witness stand slightly difficult.

Once Bowsette got comfortable and swore the truth oath, Bowser, Jr., stood on top of the dock and said, "Are you really Papa's sister? Because I've never heard of you before."

"Objection!" The Pianta attorney interrupted. "That is not the proper way to ask a question."

"Sustained," the Gao judge affirmed. "Please rephrase the question, Bowser, Jr."

Baring his sharp teeth, Bowser, Jr., repeated, "What is your relation to King Bowser?"

"I am his sister," Bowsette said again.

"Now I may not have been around for very long, but I don't recall my Papa talking about a sister before," Bowser, Jr., noted. "Is there a reason he never talked about you?"

"He…thought I was too ugly and didn't want me around," Bowsette lied.

"Yet you strongly resemble Princess Peach, whom he's adored for many years now," Bowser, Jr., pointed out. "If anything, he might have wanted you around to keep his mind off of Peach."

This made Bowsette's cheeks flush red with anger. "He would never want that! It would be like taking home a life-sized poster of the girl you love. There's no way it could replace the real thing, and my brother felt the same way about me. All I did was remind him of the Princess that kept slipping through his fingers constantly because of those meddlesome Plumbers he hated."

"Hey!" Mario objected, but Peach covered his mouth up.

"There will be no talking from anyone who isn't being testified," the Tokotoko judge warned. "Continue, Miss Bowsette."

"Well, that's pretty much it," Bowsette responded.

"One more question," Bowser, Jr., pointed. "What's the deal with that?"

Looking up at the Super Crown on her head, Bowsette said, "It's…my special crown."

"It looks suspiciously like a Power-Up to me," Bowser, Jr., claimed. "May I examine it?"

Bowsette flinched. "Why?"

"Just in case you're using it to disguise who you really are," Bowser, Jr., responded.

"Additionally, no Power-Ups are allowed in the courthouse," the Gao judge added. "So if it is a Power-Up, it will have to be confiscated."

"You can try, but it's really hard to take off," Bowsette warned.

"Oh, yeah? Watch me!" Bowser, Jr., then leaped through the air from the dock to the witness stand. He then took ahold of the sides of the Super Crown and pulled.

Like before, the Super Crown stayed in place much to Bowsette's annoyance. Yet Bowser, Jr., didn't give up as easily and ended up falling off the witness stand but still held onto the crown. This forced Bowsette to cling to the edges for balance, and try to shake off Bowser, Jr., but he kept hanging on.

"Let…go…son!" Bowsette growled.

Feeling her sharpened nails dig into the wooden sides of the witness stand, Bowsette let out a stream of fire which caused Bowser, Jr., to roll backwards and fall into the dock with burns covering his body. This shocked Bowsette to where she closed her mouth with her hands while the judges and the Pianta attorney were silent.

To be continued…


	14. Chapter 14: Light Sentence

Chapter 14: Light Sentence

"Is he going to be okay?" Bowsette asked Peach after the courthouse was temporarily adjourned.

"I managed to heal Bowser, Jr., right after the injuries were made, so I'm sure he'll be fine," Peach assured.

Bowsette looked away.

"What's wrong?" Peach asked.

"I've never hurt him before," Bowsette muttered. "Even by accident."

"We all make mistakes sometimes," Peach assured. "It's just part of being human."

"If you had kids of your own, you would think differently," Bowsette replied. "He's the one thing I care about more than you, and so I'm naturally protective of him. That's why I didn't want anyone to hurt him, even if he was responsible for the Koopa attacks here in Sarasaland. But in the end, the one who hurt him…was me."

Then Bowsette stormed off, forcing Mario and Luigi to follow her.

"You two had better go with them," Peach said to Toad and Peachette. "I'll check up on Bowser, Jr., in the hospital and then speak to the judges about his sentence."

"What are you going to try to do?" Toad asked. "The judges declared the whole thing a mistrial, meaning his sentence is up in the air."

"Though given that the civilians of Sarasaland aren't too happy with Bowser, Jr., right now, they might just determine his sentence without him," Peachette figured.

"And that's why I want to speak to the judges," Peach affirmed. "Now go with Toad back to Daisy's castle. I'll see you guys later."

So reluctantly, Peachette followed Toad as they tried to catch up with Bowsette and the Mario Brothers. Meanwhile, Peach went back into the courthouse and found Daisy. Together, they went to the hospital where Bowser, Jr., had been taken to after Peach healed him.

###

"What?" Bowser, Jr., exclaimed, jumping out of his hospital bed. "I'm being sentenced to live in your castle for an indefinite amount of time?"

"That's right," Peach nodded. "I talked things over with the judges and that is the lightest sentence they could agree on."

"But why not banish me?" Bowser, Jr., asked. "Wouldn't that have been easier?"

"Princess Peach feared that banishing you would merely cause you to attack other kingdoms, including her own," Daisy explained. "So for everyone's safety, she's agreed to keep a close eye on you in her castle."

Folding his arms, Bowser, Jr., said, "All right. Can I have my Magic Paintbrush and Junior Clown Car back?"

"'Your' Magic Paintbrush technically belongs to Professor E. Gadd," Peach pointed out. "So it's being confiscated until its rightful owner can pick it up."

"And your vehicle is impounded for illegal trespassing," Daisy added. "Unless you're willing to pay me 500 Gold Coins."

With his mouth agape, Bowser, Jr., didn't speak.

"That's what I thought," Daisy frowned and turned to Peach. "Though I'm still not sure if this is a good idea, Peach."

"I know what I'm doing, Daisy," Peach assured. "This is my way of…making things up."

After Bowser, Jr., was released from the hospital, the Mario Brothers escorted him to the Warp Pipe leading back to the Mushroom Kingdom. Alongside them walked Peach Daisy Peachette Bowsette and Toad.

"You don't have to stay with me while I'm keeping an eye on Bowser, Jr., you know," Peach said to Daisy. "The Mario Brothers will protect me."

"Maybe if it was just Bowser, Jr., but I still don't trust Bowsette," Daisy said, lifting her orange dress a little to make the walking easier. "And I'm not sure about Peachette either."

"Why? She's my sister," Peach claimed.

"But if she truly was kidnapped like you said back at dinner a few nights ago, then why did she decide to show up now of all times?" Peach wondered. "And how come your parents never brought her up when—

"Hey, Auntie!" Bowser, Jr., called to Bowsette who was walking slightly ahead.

Surprised by this, Bowsette looked back. "Auntie?"

"You're my Papa's sister, right? So that makes you my Auntie," Bowser, Jr., clarified.

"Right," Bowsette realized. "But what made you believe me?"

"When you got mad in the courtroom," Bowser, Jr., replied. Seeing Bowsette's concerned look, he said, "But it's okay. I forgive you for that. In fact, I got you mad on purpose to see how you would react."

"Are you serious?" Bowsette's eyes widened.

"Yeah, and since you reacted the way my Papa would I believe you're related to him," Bowser, Jr., confirmed. "Though I'm still baffled over why you called me 'Son.'"

"Oh, that was…a slip-up on my part," Bowsette lied, looking away.

Meanwhile, Peachette approached Toad from behind. "Is there something bothering you?"

"N-No," Toad muttered. "Why do you say that?"

"Because you avoided me yesterday," Peachette explained. "Did I do something wrong?"

"It's not you, Princess Peachette," Toad claimed. "I tried to look for your former home of Porcini Valley while I was traveling with Princess Daisy, and couldn't find any signs of it. I even checked out the library in Daisy's castle and found nothing."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Peachette said, trying to be sympathetic. "It's not an easy place to find."

"Then can you tell me where it is?" Toad asked.

Peachette's cheeks flushed red with embarrassment. "I can't tell you."

"Why not?"

Unsure of what to say, Peachette pointed to Bowser, Jr., while he wasn't looking causing Toad to look up at Peachette and seemingly nod in understanding.

###

Upon arriving back at Peach's castle, it was decided that Bowser, Jr., would stay in Bowsette's room despite her objections and Daisy would be in her own room like before.

"You know, living in Peach's castle might not be such a bad idea after all," Bowser, Jr., remarked. "I could learn all of its secrets from the inside, and maybe use its resources to find my Papa."

"Sure, whatever works for you," Bowsette replied as she was changing behind a screen into her nightgown, which had been re-sewn to fit her cleavage better and dyed black on her request. "Just so long as you don't plan any escape attempts."

"Do you know where my Papa could be?" Bowser, Jr., asked.

"Um, no," Bowsette lied. "In fact, I came to this castle to look for him myself."

"Then maybe we should look for him together," Bowser, Jr., suggested. "I mean, two heads are better than one, right?"

"Y-Yeah," Bowsette said, putting on a fake smile as she emerged from behind the screen wearing the nightgown.

She tucked Bowser, Jr., into his own bed, which was set up parallel to hers, before tucking in and trying to sleep despite the troubled thoughts on her mind.

To be continued…


	15. Chapter 15: Like Mother, Like Daughter

**It's been awhile since the last chapter, and I apologize for that. Although I went into this series with the intention of working on it whenever I feel like it, I still feel bad to make you guys wait for so long. Now in this chapter, I am going to be bringing up the version of Bowsette that's in the video game art for** ** _Super Mario Odyssey_** **where she was originally a Bowser-ized version of Princess Peach instead of the other way around.**

Chapter 15: Like Mother, Like Daughter

In the weeks that followed, Bowser, Jr., wandered throughout Peach's castle with Bowsette occasionally checking on him to make sure he wasn't trying to escape at Mario's insistence. Meanwhile, Toad was going on extended trips to seek out Porcini Valley while Peachette was constantly debating about whether to tell him the truth or not. Daisy was also doing her own research on Bowsette, and she talked Luigi into helping her despite his reluctance. There were also reports of multiple Koopas and Goombas being sighted along the borders of the Mushroom Kingdom, but Peach assured the Mario Brothers it wasn't anything to worry about.

"But if Bowsette is telling the truth and Kamek is assuming you kidnapped Bowser, then he's probably sending the Koopas and Goombas as scouts before planning an invasion," Mario speculated.

"I agree with Mario," Luigi concurred. "You should increase the number of Toads along the borders for extra protection, Princess Peach."

"While I appreciate your concern, boys, I don't think we need to worry about Kamek just yet," Peach said while sipping on her homemade peach tea.

"Maybe if we can get Toadsworth out of his coma and find out what this 'Super Crown' he mentioned is, we can return Bowsette to her former self and 'He' can talk some sense into Kamek," Peachette suggested. "Though I wonder if Kammy is still in her coma…"

"It wouldn't surprise me if she still is, because I don't think Kammy would send scouts from Dark Land," Mario figured. "She would most likely come here herself with an armed escort and demand that Peach hand over Bowser."

Just then, Bowsette stormed into the ballroom that Peach was in along with everyone else and said, "Has anyone seen Bowser, Jr.?"

"No," Peach shook her head. "Weren't you watching him?"

"I was, but then I went into the kitchen for a snack and he was gone," Bowsette explained.

"Where did you last see him?"

"The hedge maze near the kitchen, I think."

"Sounds like a good place to start as any," Mario proclaimed and left the ballroom with Bowsette following behind.

Peach Luigi and Peachette followed too, and soon all five of them entered the hedge maze checking every part of it. They soon came upon the center and found an open wooden chest, which made Peach frown.

"Do you know what was in that chest?" Mario asked Peach.

Before Peach could answer, the leaves of a nearby tree suddenly shook. Cautiously, Mario approached the base of the tree with Luigi nervously creeping behind him. Then as Mario looked up, his eyes grew wide while Luigi's eyes did the same once he saw what Mario did. Sitting near the top of the tree was a small girl with tan skin, fiery red eyes and hair. Apart from wearing a green dress that had yellow lining, black spiky braces, and a white neckerchief with teeth on it, the Mario Brothers' attention was drawn to a pink crown on the girl's head as well as the small green spiked shell and orange tail that were partially visible.

"Quit staring at me, you jerks!" The little girl snapped, gripping onto the branch she was sitting on tightly. "Where's Auntie?"

"Here I am," Bowsette said as she stepped between the Mario Brothers. Though when she saw the girl, her eyes became misty. "B-Bowser, Jr.?"

In response, the little girl looked away. "I made a big mistake."

"What did you do?" Bowsette asked.

Pointing to the crown, the little girl explained, "This was in a chest in the hedge maze. I thought it was a Power-Up, so I tried it on and…this happened. But when I tried to remove the crown, it wouldn't come off so I hid up here because I was scared of what you would think of me…"

Then to everyone's surprise, the little girl started crying. So Bowsette leaped up and grabbed the branch that the girl was on. As a result, the branch and the rest of the tree bended downward as Bowsette landed on the ground.

"You had no reason to hide from me, or worry what I thought about your actions," Bowsette assured, giving the little girl a stern yet comforting look. "Because the one who's really at fault is me."

The little girl gave Bowsette a confused look. "You? But why?"

"Because…I'm your Papa. I found that same crown you did, Son, and tried it on just as you did. So that's why I look this way, but I was too embarrassed to tell you the truth."

"H-How do I know you're telling the truth? And why don't I look exactly like you?"

"I can explain that too."

"You can?" Mario and Luigi exclaimed at the same time.

"Of course, but I didn't think it would be relevant to this Super Crown mystery," Bowsette said. "Though given what's happened to my kid, it might shed light on some things."

"Like what?" The little girl demanded. "You're not making any sense."

Sighing, Bowsette used one hand to grab the little girl by the neckerchief and pull her off the branch letting the tree fall back into place as she did this. "Before you and the Koopalings were born, I met someone that looked like Princess Peach. Only, she looked like an older version of the way you look now, Bowser, Jr. She told me that she was from an alternate reality where Bowser had used a magic hat to transform Princess Peach into an evil version of herself that resembled me.

"Well, before I looked like this. Anyway, this Bowser-ized version of Princess Peach ditched Mario and became a tyrannical queen who ruled over both Dark Land and the Mushroom Kingdom with Bowser serving as a mere political figurehead. But apparently that wasn't enough and she hired Professor E. Gadd to create an inter-dimensional portal that led to here. She then seduced me and promised to return once our children had come of age."

"Then this alternate version of Princess Peach…is my mother?" The little girl's eyes widened.

"Yes," Bowsette nodded.

To be continued…


End file.
